The UK & Ireland's top links courses

As the weather improves, it’s time to pack up your golf bag and head to the coast. And to help you decide where to go, here are our favourite links courses from across the country.

The North Sea breaks on the St Andrews coast

Playing a links course is a particular type of challenge. Weather plays a big part – even in the height of summer, you can still get whirling winds and driving rain coming in from the Atlantic or North Sea.

But with these challenges come great rewards. From the knowledge that you’ve successfully mastered a particular course to the often stunning scenery these coastal fairways and greens provide.

Here are our favourite from across the country…

Scotland: St Andrews Old Course

Not just one of the best links courses, or one of the best in Scotland but, simply put, one of the best courses in the world. From its history to the stunning views, this course has everything a golfer would want. And when you add the swirling winds coming from the North Sea then you’ve got a real challenge on your hands.

While many travel to the course on one-off golfing pilgrimages, it’s actually a course that benefits from repeated playing. The first time, you’re in awe of the history and are surprised by how different it is from the TV images, but by the 3^rd or 4^th round you start to notice the little touches, like how wind dried greens blend almost seamlessly into fairways, and how the seemingly random bunkers are actually cleverly positioned to capture and swallow up your ball.

Clouds gather at Portmarnock’s 5^th hole. Haydn West/PA Archive

Ireland: Old Course, Portmarnock, Co Dublin

The natural links is set on a peninsular that was once only accessible by boat – which means that you’re slap bang in the middle of the sea. This isn’t an easy, man-made links but a wild and windswept course.

But despite all this, it’s also a hugely enjoyable round of golf. Not just for its stunning views of sea birds and mountains, but because of its world-class greens - which are fast and true.

It has often been described as an ‘honest’ course as it lacks tricks or surprises, though the back five holes can be challenging after a day of fighting against the winds.

Royal Birkdale’s art deco clubhouse. Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Northern England: Royal Birkdale, Southport

A regular host of The Open, this links course is wedged up against the coast, creating narrow fairways. These can be difficult to manage on the best days but when the wind gets up, keeping even a true drive out of the rough can be hard. But if you do manage to land your drive on a fairway, it’ll stay there as they are laid out on a valley bottom. On either side of the fairways there tends to be large sand dunes, which are often dotted with spectators.

The back nine has a number of challenging holes, from the 509-yard par-5 17^th, that in the right wind conditions could be eagled with a strong driver and long iron, to its longest hole, the par-5 15^th, which is full of bunkers.

The clubhouse is also a bit of a highlight – a modern art deco building, bright white against the grey storm clouds.

Crowds watch on at the Royal St George. Rui Vieira/PA Wire.

Southern England: Royal St George's, Sandwich

This natural looking links course is a favourite among golfers across the world. Everything, from its varied holes to views of the White Cliffs of Dover, make it one of the best links courses in the UK.

Highlights include its many bunkers - from the UK’s tallest and deepest bunker on the 4^th, to the almost symmetrical placement of the bunkers on the 15^th. It can be a challenge thanks to its undulating fairways and blind shots, but that didn’t stop golf writer, Bernard Darwin, describing it as “nearly my idea of heaven”.

Helen Alfredsson at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club. Barry Batchelor/PA Archive.

Wales: Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Porthcawl

This links course, situated in the Welsh wilds, is a bit of a hidden gem. It only hosted its first major championship in 2014 (Senior Open Championship) but is well-regarded by those golfers in the know and is worth checking out.

Thanks to the lack of sandy hills, golfers can take in the sea views pretty much every step of the way – a rarity among modern links courses. To play it successfully, you need to know the course. You can’t just drive your way around it – opening shots need to be carefully placed to get the best scores.

The holes vary, not just in playing style but in direction (at one time you’ll face each of the 4 compass points) and height, with some of the middle holes rising high offering even better views across the nearby Bristol Channel.